World Book Capital Cities

"...Literacy is crucial to the acquisition, by every child, youth, and adult, of essential life skills that enable them to address the challenges they can face in life".

United Nations Resolution on Literacy Decade 56/116

The International Publishers Association (IPA) is an international industry federation representing all aspects of book and journal publishing. Established in 1896, IPA's mission is to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness for publishing as a force for economic, cultural and political development. Around the world IPA actively fights against censorship and promotes copyright, literacy and freedom to publish. IPA is an industry association with a human rights mandate.

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World Book Capital Cities

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Introduction

Every year, UNESCO convenes delegates from the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to grant the title of UNESCO World Book Capital to one city.

The city may hold the title for one designated year, from 23 April (UNESCO World Book Day) until 22 April of the following year. During that year it undertakes to organise and run a larger number of events around books, literature and reading. The programme brings together the local and national book industries and puts books and book culture into the public eye. It attracts sponsorship and extra funding for book related institutions. The programme raises awareness for literacy and reading issues, libraries and books shops and highlights the overall benefits of a lively book culture. The title is also used to promote tourism and draw national and international attention to the literary heritage of a city and nation.

Latest News

In its capacity as member of the Selection Committee, IPA encourages the submission of candidacies for World Book Capital 2014 no later than Friday, 27 April 2011. After this deadline, it will be too late! The 2014 World Book Capital will be selected at UNESCO over the summer. Please note that since the 2013 title was awarded to a city of the Asia and Pacific region (Yerevan), no candidature from this region will be taken into consideration for the 2014 nomination. Call (Eng., Esp., Fr.) - Annex (Eng.)

Yerevan, Armenia, was named World Book Capital 2012 at the conclusion of the Selection Committee meeting, which was held on 2 July 2010 at UNESCO's Paris headquarters. The meeting brought together representatives of IPA, IBF, IFLA and UNESCO. The city of Yerevan was selected for the "quality and the variety of its detailed, realistic, grass-roots programme, focusing on universal issues and linking all aspects and actors of the book chain". See Press Release of 5 July 2010.

The current World Book Capital is Buenos Aires, Argentina, until 22nd April 2012. On 25 April, the Buenos Aires Book Fair hosted the Award Ceremony of the 2011 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize. This Award Ceremony marked the first public appearance of Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri.

© 2011 INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION